Ned Suesse (neduro) made a comment/observation prior to his Dakar debut in 2012, during his preparation/lead up to the event - which I found to be most insightful in nature;

"A lot of people enter DAKAR with the goal of finishing... and end up geting caught up in competing..." (or words to that effect... I don't have an exact quote at hand).

The interesting thing with this comment (which is 110% spot on) is that for many competitors (especially those that fill the bottom two thirds of the starting field, or those attempting the Dakar - any rally for that matter - for the first time) approach the event with an expressed goal, training and physical/mechanical preparation regime, that they "just want to finish"... to make the DAKAR finish line.

It's true of both the Moto, Auto, Quad and SxS categories... competitors et out a plan/program (with consideration to budget constraints etc.) of how they are going to approach the rally, with an aim to finish...

... but often, once the flag drops - get caught up in the ferver of "competing".

You know the deal... on the start line interviews it's all; "Yeah... I'm gonna take it easy, ride/drive within myself... take care of the machine... I just want to finish... the result does not matter to me..."

Then typically (with some of the recent DAKAR's relatively easy day 1 & 2 legs) at the end of the second leg, while looking at the results sheets you will here these kind of comments;"Well geeze... I'm only 20 minutes behind so and so..." or"I was only taking it easy... and I'm in the top 100..."or similar.

Then the thought processes start to creep in; "You know... I reckon, if I just go a bit quicker tomorrow..." and there it begins. The original gameplan of "just finishing" becomes "let's press on for a result" and it is THAT which often brings the less experienced competitor undone in the long run.

If a capable driver/navigator in a soundly prepared 4WD competition vehicle (even a relatively modest one like the Bowler Tomcats that the R2Recovery team are planning on running), drive the course to a conservative pace/time plan of "finishing" each day (within the allotted time set for each leg), then there is a better than 50% chance to achieve this. But where the wheels fall off (literally) is when the driver/vehicle start to "push" above this envelope... things break... competitors make misstakes... you get stuck/broke... time/weariness starts to take its toll... and the team slip back down through the results list (from where they otherwise would have just trundled along) and the metaphoric "snow ball" catches up with them.

There is a French driver who has won the T2 (production category) of DAKAR multiple times (I think more than any other), and in the past one of his prime tactics for DAKAR was to NOT even look at the result sheet until the rest day. His gameplan was to drive the car to the terrain, and his understanding of what the vehicle could sustain/maintain (remember the T2 vehicles are by design - basically production vehicles equipped with some saftey and security equipment, but very limited modifications in terms of performance, suspension and chassis).

Once to the rest day (halfway point of the rally) he would look to the results. Often, many of his competitors were broken/further back because of overtaxing the material... and "Jippe" - still with a vehicle in good condition, could "compete" for the second week, having kept the material in good condition.

Similar stories of the Marathon and Malle Moto riders in the Moto category are also true.

Although the Race 2 Recovery team have no prior DAKAR/rally experience... obviously their time in military service and the skills/training they have from that put them in good stead. The fact that they have been injured in service of their country and the disabilities that they suffered as a result, make their challenge one that the media will - obviously - show interest in.

In the past there have been amputees/paraplegics that have entered the DAKAR and finished...some have done exceedingly well. That these ex-servicemen can take on the task and "finish", I believe is achievable provided that they stick to the expressed goal of "finishing"... Given their military background, it is not inconcievable that these guys can set that mission plan and follow it to execution... if they do so and not get caught up in the "race" then there is no reason they can't do it...*

And of course the CPR and rescue demonstrations for the media, assorted dignitries and ladies of the Woman's Military Auxilliary all make for good PR eh?

*Mind you one thing I would be planning - for the triple amputee (I assume he is the co-driver) is a set of second controls in the car - so when they get bogged in dunes, the able bodied (driver) can hop out an work the sand ladders/tow strap etc.) as I can't imagine flip flopping around with three prosthesis is going to be all that effective when bogged the Peru/Fiambal dunes etc.

For the 2013 Dakar, it does not seem there will be the "easy" transport/gravel stages the first couple of days... some hard core stages more or less from the start.

Roll on january... good luck everyone!

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Very good post.
It is realy that way.
Dakar 2010 I was at the start and have some simpel chats with a lot of southamerican drivers, and it is true everyone stating they were to start calm and try to reach the end.

I was at El nihuil (day 8) and everybody at the Bivouac looking for results to be published, looking for information on rivals or how did them performed compared to them.

In the emerging UTV/SSV/SXS class in T3 Light, these guys will be the ones to watch, 3 cars for 2013 from Xtreme Plus, the only SXS out of 6 to survive Dakar 2012 and with the highest level of Dakar focussed development to the cars out of any SXS on the planet to date.

Will be interesting to see the entry list as SXS is a rapidly growing class at most rallies world wide now.

Did you watch the vid ? Even El Matador mentions this Dakar being a first step in a program. To me the vechicle looks sorted and capable...time will tell

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Yeah... I watched the vid... lot's of good rhetoric and the usual cliches for the sponsors...

A few more quick knee jerk reactions from the little we saw of the car in action...

1. Rear engine clearance/overhang - very close to ground/exposed.
2. Spare tyre on side/low... exposed with no under protection... perfect for getting a stone/stick puncture... ideal if you want a flat before you need to change tyres.
3. The couple of airborne high spee shots... flies very tail heavy...? :huh

Yeah... no doubt it will be fast (like a lot of the SCORE Class 1 buggies it borrows much of it's technology from)... but for how long/how far?

I would not bet against the prediction that Strong Bad made earlier in this thread in any case.

But it IS nice to see Red Bull and Qatar get behind two of the biggest names in the DAKAR from recent years and give the two past champions a shot at the race in 2013... maybe it can be developed in years to come to be a contender (like RG's Speed/Hummer outfit)... but four months is too short to deliver a winner for 2103 I believe.

Yeah... I watched the vid... lot's of good rhetoric and the usual cliches for the sponsors...

A few more quick knee jerk reactions from the little we saw of the car in action...

1. Rear engine clearance/overhang - very close to ground/exposed.
2. Spare tyre on side/low... exposed with no under protection... perfect for getting a stone/stick puncture... ideal if you want a flat before you need to change tyres.
3. The couple of airborne high spee shots... flies very tail heavy...? :huh

Yeah... no doubt it will be fast (like a lot of the SCORE Class 1 buggies it borrows much of it's technology from)... but for how long/how far?

I would not bet against the prediction that Strong Bad made earlier in this thread in any case.

But it IS nice to see Red Bull and Qatar get behind two of the biggest names in the DAKAR from recent years and give the two past champions a shot at the race in 2013... maybe it can be developed in years to come to be a contender (like RG's Speed/Hummer outfit)... but four months is too short to deliver a winner for 2103 I believe.

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Both Nasser and Sainz have tested almost all real good Dakar machines in the last years:

I really doubt they would get in something so bad so easily.
They know how they will sit against competition,. No other team has so much knoledge of competition as they have.
There must be a lot of things to develop, as it has been the case with Mitsubishi, them with X raid, or even the endless wallet of VW Dakar project.
I can not see them fighting for overall win in 2013.
But I really doubt this thing could be awfully designed or constructed, and have Nasser, Carlos and Red Bull exposing themselves to it.

The logistics, assitance and all what is beneath the special stage itself is really important in Dakar

I will be very surprised if Rubby Gordon races this next El Dakaro. First there are recent developments with his latest "benefactor" Clyde Stacy, which most likely will prevent Clyde's involvement (and may possibly even prevent future funding). Second, Rubby is up to his armpits in getting the Stadium Super Trucks off the ground, in fact one of the "demo" events for the SST is to be held while the El Dakaro is being raced. Rubby has contracts already with NBC for TV, and he wanted to be the next Micky Thompson.

El Matador and Nasser have both shared major testing time in developing past Dakar race cars. However, there simply isn't anytime to develop the current car prior to this next event. Looks are one thing, bling, bling bodies and graphics are window dressing, races are won with prep, development, and more prep. They have barely enough time to get the shocks set up, let alone figure out what the week links are that will need to be addressed in the bivy every night.